The traditional bánh mì is a layering of flavours and textures all in a warm roll. Photo: Tenele Conway.
There’s not much that can entice me onto the endless roundabouts of Isabella Drive, but the promise of a cracking bánh mì will do it every time, so when I caught wind of a Vietnamese eatery in Greenway dishing up some reputable bánh mì, I was in the car in a flash.
The cafe is O Bach, and it’s pretty unassuming. Tucked next to a vast laundromat with its twirling machines and facing the monolith that is Bunnings, it’s easy to miss.
Owned by Jenny Nguyen, a pocket rocket with a big smile, and Vinny Ho, the head chef with some serious skills, this little cafe is set up in a takeaway style but has a handful of tables in the back and a long counter set up for a quick bite while perched on a stool.
There are seven varieties of bánh mì on the current menu, including grilled chicken, chicken schnitzel, fried egg, BBQ char siu, tofu, roasted crispy pork and a traditional Saigon roll.
To prove to myself that I’m not as habitual and predictable as I think I am, I skipped my usual go-to bánh mì (roasted crispy pork). I enquired about the contents of the traditional Saigon roll, and this is when Jenny appeared, like a customer service ninja just waiting for her opportunity to help.
Jenny informed me that it’s a roll of cold cuts, a description which made me hesitate for a moment, but determined to try something new, I held my ground and ordered it anyway, and boy did Jenny undersell this roll.
O Bach in Greenway is serving up killer bánh mì. Photo: Tenele Conway.
First, it arrived at the table looking like a contender for best-in-show. Absolutely as pretty as a picture, with the meats all neatly layered up, a crunchy crumble of fried shallots scattered across the top and a drizzle of hoisin that neither overwhelmed the flavours nor made it too moist.
This next point I say with the weight of someone who takes their bread very seriously: this is the Saigon roll of my dreams. It was served hot, which amplifies all the textures. The interior is extra fluffy, the exterior is ultra crispy, and it hugs the filling in a warm embrace that makes the whole eating experience 11 out of 10.
Probing a little further on these ‘cold cuts’, Jenny lets me in on a few secrets to what is really going on here, and it’s much more complex than the simple phrase ‘cold cuts’ would imply.
The hero for me was the char siu pork that Jenny tells me Vinny slow-cooks for a day. There is also something Jenny refers to as Vietnamese ham, but on closer inspection, it is called chu lua, a staple of many Vietnamese dishes that is more like a roll of pork, made by pounding lean cuts of pork with ingredients like fish sauce and garlic. The word ‘lua’ translates to ‘silk’ and refers to the consistency of the pork roll. This is all set off with the umami bomb that is Vietnamese chicken pâté, an essential to a well-rounded flavour profile; it’s like the back-up singer letting the main stars shine.
It’s an unassuming eatery and absolutely worth the trip. Photo: Tenele Conway.
So when Jenny says cold cuts, she really means layers of speciality Vietnamese ingredients that all come together into a riot of flavours and textures.
The menu is broader than just bánh mì with all the usual suspects that I look forward to trying in the future, like pho, rice, and noodle dishes, and if they’re as good as the bánh mì, we’re in for a treat.
Wishing I had a larger appetite, Jenny sensed that I might be back sometime soon and seemed to read my mind by suggesting that my next bánh mì should be the roasted crispy pork, so I’ll pass that recommendation on to you. Head down to see Jenny and Vinny; they’ve got a talent for bánh mì that shouldn’t be missed.
O Bach is located at Unit 354/325 Anketell Street, Greenway. They’re open seven days a week for lunch and five days a week for dinner, Monday through Friday.
Original Article published by Tenele Conway on Region Canberra.
